lowndes



(No Model.)

e. S. LOWNDBS.

BBD BOTTOM. No. 373,900. Patented Nov. 29.1887.- V I ./.m j@ 7 u F iingrlll Wit-LE 55 E5 Bearing; E LDT/mies N. PETERS. Pholullwgnpher, washinmnn. D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. S. LOWNDES.

BED BOTTOM.

Patented Nov. 2 9, '1887.

N. PETERS, Pnpbumagqphen whing'mn, D. c.

UNITED STATES afrenta ariete.

GEORGE S. LOVNDES, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming pari'. of Letters Patent No. 373,900, dated `November 29, 1857.

Application filed November 1, 1886. Serial No. 217,744. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. LowNDns, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Bed-Bottom; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it, appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of mattresses that are composed of a coiled or woven wire fabric stretched by its two ends,.and may be applied to any other fabric similarly stretched, the object being to provide a cheaply-constructed, easily -transported bedbottom; and it consists of stretching-rollers and means for operating and attaching the same to the side rails, .as will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a top view of my device attached to a bedstead. Fig. II is a longitudinal vert-ical section through Fig. I. Fig. III shows a roller and attaching brackets. Fig. IV isan end view of Fig. III. Fig. V shows one means of fastening a roller after the fabric is tightened to keep it from turning. Figs. .VI and VII are views of the extension-plugs, and Fig.

VIII is a vievT of one attached to abracket on the same plane shown in Fig. VII. Fig. IX shows a bracket supported by a brace. Fig. X shows a roller attached to the brackets and provided with a clutch to hold the roller in position when the fabric is stretched. Fig. XI is a side view, and Fig. XII an end view, showing grooves on extension-plug that prevent the clutch shown in Fig. XIII from turning. Fig. XIV is a longitudinal section through the extensionplug, roller, and clutch.

In these figures similar referencemarks refer to like parts in the several figures.

1 is a fabric.

2 are rollers to which the ends of the fabric are attached. These rollers are preferably made of pipe and necessarily have a hole in each end, into which are inserted the plugs, which are preferably of the kind shown in Figs. X and XI-that is to say, with the grooves for the inward projections 4 of the clutch 5. (Best shown in Figs. XI, XII, and XIII.) On one end' of each roller is a heXagon head, 6, on one side of which are teeth that engage with the teeth on the side of the clutch 5 and prevent the tension of the fabric from unwinding the fabric oft ofthe rollers by reason of the plug 3 having the tenon 7, that enters into the slot in the bracket 8. The bracket 9 has also a slot, and the tenon on the end of the plug l() enters the bracket and supports that end of the roller. The brackets 8 and 9 are, if necessary, provided with lugs on their inner or back sides for the purpose of entering the wood and holding them more firmly in place.

A modied forni of fastening is shown in several gures,in which the plugs in both ends of the roller are smooth, and setscrcws 17 are inserted in the roller and press against these plugs and prevent the strain on the fabric from unwinding it from the roller.

The brackets 8 and 9are screwed to the side rails, 11, of a bedstead, as shown in Figs. I and II.

The brace 14, as shown in Fig. IX, is to Astrengthen the attachment of the bracket in cases where narrow corner-pieces are used in the bedstead, thus preventing the bracket being as securely attached as is necessary to withstand the strain.

On the side of the roller 2, I place the clamp l5, which may be of any suitable construction; but at present I prefer the manner shownin Fig. III, which is a bar or plate of metal bent crosswise to conform to the shape of the roller 2 as nearly as is necessary and be fastened thereon by screws 20 or other suitable means; but at present I prefer thescrews. The brackets being attached to the side rails of a bed stead and the fabric being attached to the rollers, the extension-plugs are inserted in the ends of the rollers with the ends having the dovetailed tenon out, and these dovetailed, tenons are caused to enter the dovetailed slots in the brackets, as shown best in Figs. III and X, the extensionpieces sliding easily and being adj usted so as to exactly reach the bracket on either side of the bed. These extensionpieces act as journals on which the rollers turn ICO and the dovetails will prevent it from becoming accidentally detached from the brackets. Vith any suitable wrench applied to the hexagonal headsG the rollers are turned in the direction that will wind the fabric on the rollers, as shown in Figs. I, II, and X, until sufficient tension has been put on the fabric, when in each case the teeth on the clutch 5 are caused to engage with the teethon the clutch attached to the end of each roller or fastened by means of the set-screws 17. It is obviously necessary that the rollers should be short enough to allow them suliicient play on the farther extensioirpiece for the clutch 5 to be disengagedgor, as a means of fastening the extension-plugs and keeping the roller from turning, screws may be placed in the end of the roller and tighten on the extension plugs; but at present I prefer the clutch. It is also obvious that any fabric that is sutlciently pliable to be wound on the rollers maybe used.

In Figs. I and 1I the device is shown attached to the side rails of a bedstead; but it may be attached to independent side rails, and thus form a bed-bottom that may be removed from the bedstead in the ordinary way.

Bed-bottoms or spring-mattresses as heretofore constructed have heen too bulky to be cheaply transported, which difficulty is entirely overcome in this, as the rollers may be detached from the side rails, whether those of the bedstead or independent ones are used, and the bed-bottoms be' packed flat, or, if of suiiieiently flexible material, rolled, and the whole, whether accompanied er not by inde- Apendent side rails, be so compactly packed as to be easily and cheaply transported.

The fabric may be tightened as often as desirable, which relieves it of the principle ob- 4o jection to springlbeds as ordinarily constructed-that is, the liability to give way by use.

I am aware that it is notnew to employ hollow rollers to sustain the opposite ends of a spring bed fabric; neither is it new to insert plugs in the ends of such rollers to serve as -journals for the same, these devices being shown in the patents of Adams, March 2G, 1872, and Diemhs, June 23, 1885, as well as in mechanism employed for other purposes than that of straining and supporting the wirefabric of a springbed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. As an improvement in bedholtoms, the combination of the fabric, the hollow rollers, the longitudinally grooved extension -pieces forming journals for the said roller, brackets attached to the frame and adapted to engage with said extension-pieces, and a fastening device attaehed to said rollers to secure the rollers to the extension-pieces and act as a ratchet to prevent the rot-ation ofsaid rollers, substantially as shown and described.

2. As an improvement in bed-bottoms, the combination ofthe hollow rollers provided at one end with a hexagonal clutching-piece, 6, the longitudinally grooved and tenoned extension-pieces3, and clutehingpieces 5, secured to the extension-pieces by inward projections 4, with the mortised brackets9 and braces 14, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE S, LOWNDES.

Vitnesses: y

FRENCH STRANGE, A. P. Woon. 

